Stopping
by Starline
Summary: The question why is asked to Vivi (short story with spoilers)


Insert here the speech that I do not own any of the FF characters and I make no money off them. FLAME ME.   
  
  
Time has her own means  
To show us our dreams  
And I dream of you- Shawn Mullins   
  
Stopping  
  
A warm wind blows from the west, causing white hats to sway gently in the breeze. A small tinkling sound emerges from the windpipes that hang on nearby trees. In the distance Bobby Corewan screams, demanding attention from his parents. Usually there are a few souls that inhabit this tranquil place but only one solitary soul sits here on this day. As the sun pours down to warm the earth two yellow eyes glanced upwards.   
  
Vivi's grandson, Dar, stands quietly at the memorial established by the other Black Mages. In an hour, him and his siblings were heading to Alexandria for the play to commemorate the conformation of the new queen and to celebrate the rebuilding of the city. A memory is recalled of that last day with his grandfather before he stopped.  
  
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The day was just like this one. Word had come to Dar and his family that it was going to be the day. His mother and father walked with him and his brother and sisters to the small shack Vivi inhabited. Around them Black Mages scurried around the village, trying to imitate humanoid actions and beliefs. His family stopped at a nondescript shack that did not indicate the hero that lay inside. Without a word his mother motioned for him to enter.   
  
The shack was filled with light from the numerous windows Vivi had installed once returning from the Lifa Tree. A few meager possessions existed, a bed, dresser, and a chair in the corner. A voice whispered, "Hello Dar."  
  
"Hello grandfather," Dar responded, slowly creeping up to the figure in the bed.  
  
A silence occurred, making the moment feel like an eternity. Ironically they were a race that did not have time to wait.  
  
"So today is the day I will..."  
  
"Stop it!" screamed Dar. "Why, why, why, why! You were the one who helped the Black Mages find the answers regarding life. You are a hero; you helped stop Kuja from destroying this world. We still have so much to learn. Why do you have to stop?"   
  
Vivi just looked at his grandson. "I asked myself the same questions when I was younger. I wanted to know why I existed, what was my purpose was in life, and why people I hardly knew had such faith in me. These are all things I struggled with during my journey. Why do we have such a short life? Why is fate so cruel? Why was I created for death and destruction?"   
  
"What did you learn grandfather?"  
  
Vivi gaze moved to the window. "I learned to be myself. All around me people referred to me as a monster, a thing created for destruction. I wasn't even viewed as having a soul; I was just a puppet to be manipulated by others. It was the strength and love from Zidane, Steiner, Dagger, Freya, and the others that gave me strength to continue on. It does not matter what others think and believe of you, it is your duty and faith to live life for yourself. "  
  
"But why?"  
  
"Stopping is a natural progression Dar. Do the flowers that come up in the spring not wilt away in the fall? Everything has a season and mine has come to an end. It does not matter on how you are born and stop; it is how you live life in between of those two events. I have a question for you Dar. Will you forget me?"  
  
"Never grandfather, never."  
  
"As long as my memory exists in you I will never truly stop. I will continue to live in your hopes and dreams. The lessons I have learned, the friends I have met, the family that I have created will carry on my memory. Even though I am not here in body I will be with you in spirit. Carry and teach the lessons I have taught you to others so I will continue to live and later on you will also live in others memories after you have stopped. Stopping is the next part of the journey that may be full of twists and turns, filled with both light and darkness. Continue the journey, live each day to the fullest. Worrying about the future will hamper the present. When the journey grows dark, lean on your friends, and be there for them in their moments of darkness. This is how I lived, and this is how I will be remembered. I do exist, and so do you."  
  
************************************************************************  
  
The ceremony had been small with Vivi's family, Queen Garnet, Steiner, and Freya. All the attendees of memories gave words and lessons Vivi had taught them. At the end of the ceremony Queen Garnet approached Dar and bowed to him.   
  
" I hope that you can attend the play in Alexandria next month. It would be a great honor for me to have Vivi's family present" Queen Garnet asked.  
  
"Of course, my Queen." Dar responded.  
  
"You can call me Dagger if you wish. Any friend or family member of Vivi's is my friend. Your grandfather was one my first real friends and a great champion of mine, along with Zidane.  
  
Sadness crossed over Garnet's face. Dar reached up and took her hand.  
  
"Do you remember Zidane?" Dar asked.  
  
A tear welled up in her eyes. "Everyday," she whispered.  
  
"Then he is never truly gone if he lives in your heart."  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
Dar looked up at Vivi's shrine. Carved in a stone sent by Queen Garnet was the inscription, the journey never ends. "Yes grandfather, you continue on, and so do I," thought Dar as he turned around and walked away from the memorial. It was time for him to continue on. It was time to live.  
  



End file.
